Humidity control systems are conventionally known which include a refrigerant circuit contained in a casing and operating in a vapor compression refrigeration cycle and control the humidity in a room by switching the air flow path in the casing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The refrigerant circuit in such a humidity control system includes two heat exchangers carrying an adsorbent thereon and is configured to reversibly switch the direction of refrigerant circulation.
The humidity control system during a dehumidification operation operates in a first batch mode of dehumidifying outside air taken in the system through the first heat exchanger serving as an evaporator and then supplying it to a room and, concurrently, giving to room air taken in the system moisture released from the adsorbent of the second heat exchanger serving as a condenser to regenerate the adsorbent and exhausting the humidified room air. Next, the humidity control system during the dehumidification operation switches the direction of refrigerant circulation in the refrigerant circuit and the air flow path in the casing to operate in a second batch mode of dehumidifying outside air taken in the system through the second heat exchanger serving as an evaporator and then supplying it to the room and, concurrently, giving to room air taken in the system moisture released from the adsorbent of the first heat exchanger serving as a condenser to regenerate the adsorbent and exhausting the humidified room air.
On the other hand, the humidity control system during a humidification operation operates in a first batch mode of humidifying outside air through the first heat exchanger serving as a condenser and then supplying it to the room and, concurrently, dehumidifying room air through the second heat exchanger serving as an evaporator and then exhausting it, and a second batch mode of humidifying outside air through the second heat exchanger serving as a condenser and then supplying it to the room and, concurrently, dehumidifying room air through the first heat exchanger serving as an evaporator and then exhausting it.
In this manner, the humidity control system controls the humidity in the room by operating alternately in the first and second batch modes.
Patent Document 1: Published Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-294048